Category Archives: Submitting to God

Finding Favor

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The youngest child of 7 grows up having precious few hours alone with mom or dad. But as older siblings reach adulthood and head out, together-time becomes available. It’s been just Birgitta and me for the last 3 weeks, hanging out, talking, laughing and doing things one-on-one.

The day before she left, we decided to finish our time with a celebrity event, the Michael Buble’ concert in Milwaukee. Although his big band sound and classic old songs aren’t her style, she accommodated her mother, and we drove to Wisconsin anticipating a good time.

Our seats were in the nose-bleed section, and marching up those last 50 steps felt much like climbing the straight-up ladder of a giant fire truck. But we were surrounded by enthusiastic cohorts and could see the distant stage perfectly.

When Michael appeared, the audience went crazy. Asking for the house lights to be turned up so he could see us, he was thrilled that all 20,000 seats were full and shouted, “I really love you!” causing fresh screams of joy.

I wish I could have known his true thoughts at that moment.

Several times during the evening he stepped off the stage into the crowd, once to kiss a 96 year old fan, another time to walk the length of the floor to a mini-stage where he sang half-a-dozen songs up close and personal with the faithful. He gave himself to the crowd, shaking hands as he sang, snuggling for photos, and high-fiving each person he could reach. It was fun to watch it.

Driving home Birgitta and I chatted about this 35 year old singer who’s in the process of being swept high on a rising star. He told us about the “seedy dives” he’d sung in as a teen, trying to get his career started. But that night fans pushed each other aside to get near the object of their affection and literally jumped up and down reaching for him when he looked in their direction.

Watching the drama unfold from our bird’s eye view, I wondered how long this public devotion would last. The more important question, though, is how can Michael deal successfully with such gushing favoritism? How can he avoid thinking of himself as superior to those of us who paid to hear him sing? Maybe he is superior?

God has a strong opinion about this. He’s closely acquainted with each ticket-holder, from those of us in the cheap seats to the one on center-stage. If asked to rank us, he’d say, “At the bottom, all of you.” In our natural state, none of us, including Michael Buble’, have clout with God, and there’s nothing we can do to remedy that. If we think there is, we’ve misread the Bible.

But there is something God can do about it, and he did it. Because of his love, he worked out salvation’s plan through his only Son. After we put full trust in Jesus, we’ve ridden a rising star all the way to the top, one that will never fall.

The love of music fans is fickle at best, so if Michael wants to find favor that will never fade, he’d better look for it with the Lord.

“God shows no favoritism.” (Acts 10:34b)

A Perfect 10

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A month ago 10 servant-hearted men from our missions-oriented church traveled to Kenya, Africa, to do good for a young woman and the 78 children she’s raising. Reah is an unusual 23 year old who cheerfully manages two children’s homes with minimum staff and maximum joy. (2/18/11 blog, A Shining Star)

Ten men journeyed to the other side of the globe with eagerness to help. Because of their busy, complicated lives, it might seem impossible for these “worker bees” to free their schedules for such a trip. Yet they did, representing 7 decades among them: guys in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, a remarkable group.

Although some people say traveling is in their blood, most of us like their own beds, familiar routines and recognizable foods. Not these guys. They plowed into their trip with gusto and two purposes: to facilitate a fresh water supply for the children and to construct a small home for Reah.

Because clean water is hard to find in Africa, she was having to buy it with precious dollars needed for education, medicine and food. And with a place to live right on the property, Reah would be always available to the children.

She sets the tone for her big family with a positive attitude and strong work ethic, expecting the best from each one. Then, as they deliver it, she’s pleased not just to get the work done but in knowing their good behavior brings them personal satisfaction, too.

Isn’t this the way God’s economy works? He asks us to give to others; then as we give, those others end up giving back to us, and simultaneously God gives to the whole crowd.

It took 10 men 10 days to get the two jobs done, though they also found time to build a playground. Kids who’d never pumped a swing or climbed a jungle gym found this to be total entertainment. Once the playground had been completed, the swings never stopped.

Back at home our mission-trippers reported on their African adventure, and we saw how they’d been blessed even more than those they’d traveled to bless. We heard stories of kids who pitched in to prepare food, wash clothes, clean up and do whatever was needed, without complaint. They told us of older children rushing to help the younger, and even when all of them hoped for a turn on a swing, none pushed or whined to get one.

As we viewed the slide show of our 10 men’s 10 days, adult smiles and happy children dominated every frame, whether they were working or playing. Fresh water was facilitated, a house was constructed, a playground was built, and God poured blessing over the whole bunch.

You might say it was a Perfect 10.

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (Hebrews 6:10)

 

Spa Day

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None of us go to the hospital if we can help it. But this morning I checked into one for a routine colonoscopy.

After being escorted to my private cubicle, a sixty-something nurse with gorgeous, swingy, red hair recorded my health history on a complicated computer program. She typed on 15 different screens while simultaneously conversing with me. “Colonoscopy prep is rough,” she said, “but today you’ll have a better day. Think of it as your spa day.”

She wrapped one wrist with an ID band and put an IV in the other. When she asked if I’d finished drinking the liquid prescribed for the evening before, I was able to say yes, to which she said, “Good! You’ll absolutely sparkle in there.”

Becoming chilly in my thin hospital gown, I asked for a blanket. She walked to a stainless steel refrigerator that looked like it belonged in a designer kitchen, opened the “freezer” section, and grabbed a pile of hot flannel. Spa-time had begun. When the first blanket cooled, she brought me a second.

After checking blood pressure (98/65), temp (97.3) and pulse (71), I was wheeled to my colonoscopy destination. The doctor introduced himself and rattled off a description of the procedure, ending with, “Any questions?”

“How many colonoscopies have you done?” I said.

“I stopped counting at 3000,” he said. “As soon as you turn on your left side, we’ve got your good-time-drugs ready.” (Spa-lingo, for sure.) Quickly after that, through a happy haze, I saw my innards fly by on the TV as if I was riding the “tube” in London’s underground.

In a look-back analysis of the day, it struck me how willingly I’d abandoned myself to medical personnel I hadn’t met before. They “seemed” competent (15 screens, 3000+ procedures), but that’s all I knew. The question is, do I just as readily abandon myself to God?

My actions often say, “Lord, I can handle this problem better than you, but I’ll let you know if I need you.” That’s the opposite of abandoning myself, even though he’s the all-powerful expert in every field, the only one with the answer to every dilemma.

Although God probably wouldn’t have come to earth to perform my colonoscopy, he put together my whole gastrointestinal system in the first place, so no one knows more about it than he does. He also designed my heart, soul and mind, which is why I should eagerly abandon myself to his sovereign care in those categories, just as I put my physical care in the hands of medical personnel today.

God may not physically walk a hospital’s halls each day, but today I learned one way he does show up there: by bringing new babies into the world. At this hospital every birth is announced with a music-box version of Brahms Lullaby over the “spa” speakers. And today I heard that lovely tune 5 times.

“I waited. God looked. He listened. He lifted me. He taught me. People see this, abandoning themselves to God.” (parts of Psalm 40:1-3 The Message)